Cut Your Power Bill in Burnaby: Free and Cheap Ideas

Free habits first, cheap fixes next, then the rebates that help pay for the big stuff.

On this page
  1. Quick quiz: how rebate programs work
  2. Free: do these this week
  3. Cheap: a few dollars each
  4. Free smart thermostats and Peak Saver
  5. Bigger upgrades, when you're ready
  6. What's different in Burnaby
  7. Questions people ask
Quick quiz

Quick quiz: how rebate programs work

Seven questions that apply almost everywhere. Tap an answer to see why.

1. When should you check if you qualify for a rebate?

Many programs refuse work that started before approval.

2. Can you often combine rebates from different programs?

A utility rebate and a government one may stack. Check each program's stacking rules.

3. Why do some rebates need a registered contractor?

Check the official list before you accept a quote.

4. What should you keep for your claim?

Programs often ask for these, sometimes within a short window.

5. Why does your utility matter?

Two homes in one city can have different rebates if they have different utilities.

6. What is a qualified product list?

Check your exact model number before you buy.

7. Can a program's amount or rules change?

Always read the official page, and note the date you checked.

See my rebates
A bright living room with a white sectional sofa

Short answer: Start with free habits (thermostat set-backs, cold-water laundry, blinds), then seal drafts for a few dollars. If you have baseboard heat, BC Hydro is giving out up to five free Mysa or Sinopé thermostats from October 2026.

Burnaby is in Metro Vancouver, with mild, rainy winters that suit heat pumps very well. That shapes where your energy goes: heating in winter. Burnaby has many condos and townhomes as well as older houses with baseboard heat. For a house on baseboards, a ductless multi-split is the usual path to BC Hydro's whole-home rebate.

Canada’s new heat pump rebate is worth up to $10,000. Get an email the day it opens

Applications are not open yet. Ottawa says they open in early 2027, and that you can add this rebate on top of provincial ones.

Up to $10,000
if your household earns below the median income
$2,000
for other homeowners who qualify

Stack it with the British Columbia rebate open today

Ottawa says you can combine them. Each program has its own rules. Amounts are the most you can get.

Applications open early 2027

Join the launch alert

  • Launch-day email, with what to do first
  • Who qualifies for the $10,000, once Ottawa says
  • A short hello now, so you know it worked

Only emails about this rebate. No spam, no sales calls. Unsubscribe anytime.

Free: do these this week

  • Turn the heat down when you're asleep or out. Lower heat means less energy used.
  • Use your blinds. Open south-facing ones on sunny winter days; close them at night.
  • Wash in cold water and run full loads. Heating water is most of a washer's energy.
  • Close doors and turn off baseboards in rooms you don't use.
  • Clean or change filters on your furnace or heat pump so it doesn't work harder than it needs to.

Cheap: a few dollars each

  • Weatherstripping around doors and windows.
  • Foam gaskets behind outlet covers on outside walls.
  • Pipe insulation on the first few feet of hot water pipe.
  • LED bulbs in the lights you use most.

To find drafts, hold your hand near window and door frames on a windy day.

Free smart thermostats and Peak Saver

If your home has electric baseboards and you're a BC Hydro customer, you can get up to five free Mysa or Sinopé line-voltage thermostats starting in October 2026. They come pre-enrolled in Peak Saver, which pays a $50 reward each winter ($100 if income-qualified). Peak Saver events run November to March, last up to four hours, and you can opt out. Ecobee and Nest do not qualify, because they don't control baseboards.

Bigger upgrades, when you're ready

  • Insulation: BC Hydro pays by area and R-value added, up to $900 for an attic and $1,200 for walls or basement (for electrically heated homes).
  • Heat pump: up to $4,000 from BC Hydro if you replace electric heat.
  • Heat pump water heater: up to $1,000 from BC Hydro when replacing an electric tank.
  • Income-qualified? ECAP gives a free home energy evaluation and free upgrades.

What's different in Burnaby

  • The City of Burnaby's climate-friendly home upgrades page points residents to provincial rebates and the free CleanBC Energy Coach. We did not find a separate city cash top-up.

My tip for Burnaby: Many Burnaby homes are strata. If you live in a condo or townhouse, check your strata bylaws before you book an install, because outdoor units usually need approval.

Questions people ask

What is the cheapest way to cut my heating bill?

Turning the heat down at night and when you're out costs nothing. Sealing drafts costs a few dollars. After that, insulation usually gives the most back.

Do Ecobee or Nest thermostats get a BC Hydro rebate?

No. BC Hydro's free thermostats and Peak Saver thermostat rewards are for line-voltage baseboard thermostats like Mysa and Sinopé.

Can I get a heat pump rebate for a Burnaby condo?

BC Hydro runs separate offers for condos and apartments. The house rebates on this page are for single-family homes, row homes and similar. Check BC Hydro's condo page and your strata rules first.

Ready to check your home in Burnaby?

Compare top-rated local installers, ranked by Google reviews. Free for homeowners, and we'll tell you honestly if the math doesn't work for your home.

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Sources, checked September 26, 2026: B.C. government: free smart thermostats (2026) · BC Hydro insulation rebates · BC Hydro heat pump rebates · BC Hydro heat pump water heater rebate · ECAP: free home energy evaluation and upgrades.

Keep learning

Short reads and quick quizzes on how rebate programs work.

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